A Different Electric Type
by LuxuryAndCompany
Summary: A story where Ash ends up not with the iconic Pikachu, but instead, a different electric type.
1. Prologue

Ash burst into the laboratory of Professor Oak, the famous Pokémon professor. Ash looked around and found the professor next to some pokéballs, he looked amused at the young boy's outburst.

"P-Professor! Do you, ah, have any Pokémon? I need one!" Ash panted, out of breath from running.

Oak looked at the boy, clad in a dirty t-shirt and long shorts, before looking at the boy's face, which was red from seemingly running on end.

"Ash, you are still nine , you know you cannot get your trainer's license yet, you still have four more years."

Ash almost pouted at the response. Almost. Instead he looked a bit exasperated.

"Professor," he wheezed, before continuing, "I'm being chased by a few angry Pokémon and having one nearby to protect me would make me feel _a lot_ better."

The Pokémon professor seemed to think for a few moments. He didn't have many Pokémon willing to listen to a nine year-old kid, or any that he would be willing to give a nine year-old kid. Suddenly, he thought of a perfect Pokémon, one he received for research; one that was perfectly docile and trained.

"I think I know just the Pokémon, Ash."

Ash practically collapsed onto a nearby chair in relief, before yelping back into standing position; calling that chair uncomfortable would be an insult to the word.

Not long after, Gary strode into the room. "What's up, Ashy-boy? Couldn't take the heat?"

Ash glared at Gary. "I think you'd be like this too if you were being chased by angry Pokémon." Ash sighed, "I don't even know what made them so angry."

"Fair enough, did ya see any cool ones?"

Ash just looked at Gary with a tired expression, and Gary could almost swear he watched Ash's eyes flash angrily.

"Not in the mood, Gary."

Gary seemed to take a hint and just walked away without another word, knowing when something wasn't funny anymore. By the time he left, Professor Oak walked in holding a pokéball and he released the Pokémon that was inside once he was close to Ash.

What materialized was a feline Pokémon with a blue body and black fur around her head and hind feet. A Pokémon that Ash had never seen before.

"Wow Professor Oak, what kind of Pokémon is this? I've never seen one before."

Oak chuckled, answering the boy with mirth clear in his voice. "This, my boy, is the spark Pokémon, Luxio. One of Professor Rowan's trainers elected to send me her, no doubt by the request of the old coot himself. I'll let her hang around you to keep a distance between you and the Pokémon chasing you." Oak now turned to the Pokémon. "Luxio, I'll need you to look after Ash," Oak gestured to the raven haired boy beside him, "and keep him safe. He seems to have some Pokémon chasing him. Do you think you can handle that?" Luxio cocked her head, before nodding in response to Oak's request.

"Nice to meet you Luxio!" Luxio turned to regard the raven haired boy in front of her, before nodding in acceptance and proceeded to mew quietly in greeting.

Ash grinned and thanked the professor, before turning to leave the laboratory, on his way back to his house for dinner, Luxio padding quietly behind him.

Along the way, they were ambushed by a few Rattata. Luxio immediately hopped in front of Ash, and sent weak bolts of electricity at each of the small mice. The small horde was stunned. Upon noticing some still stood in the way, Luxio roared quite loudly. Needless to say, the Rattata won't be bothering Luxio and her raven-haired companion for a while.

Ash was silent, struck with awe at the foreign electric-type. Luxio noticed and smiled in her own way and mewed for Ash to lead the way to his house. Despite not understanding on a complicated level, Ash knew what Luxio was saying and cheerfully ran back to his house, eager to share this news with his mother. Luxio took the little exercise in stride and kept pace with the small boy.

Delia was startled when the front door burst open, but smiled warmly at her son when she realized he was the culprit. The warm smile changed into a confused one, however, when Luxio padded in quietly behind her son, who looked quite roughed up. She held back her questions though, Ash would tell her soon enough.

"Mom!" The raven-haired boy tackled his mother with a fierce hug. "You would not believe the day I had!"

Delia looked down at her son, an amused expression on her face. "From what I can see you managed to ruin your favorite clothes," Ash sheepishly scratched the back of his head at that. Delia merely smiled back in a knowing manner. "But I guess all that running around made you hungry? A good thing too, I just finished dinner." Before the words had even left her mouth, Ash's stomach made itself known. Ash blushed fiercely and Luxio could be heard in hitched mews, probably laughing.

Once they were at the small dining table, Delia probed the Donphan in the room. "So I noticed you have a cute little companion with you today, is he going to be staying with us?"

"'She,' mom. And yeah, for a little while at least. I got attacked by some Pokémon today."

Delia immediately fretted over Ash, asking if he was hurt, scared, traumatized, etc. "I'm fine, mom. Thanks to Luxio here." Ash gestured to the lion-esque Pokémon, who was sprawled across the couch, mewing in her sleep.

Delia breathed a sigh of relief, and decided to coddle the electric-type with a lot of love from then on. After all, if a Pokémon (or anyone, really) was willing to protect her baby, they were more than okay in her book.

For the next few weeks, Luxio accompanied Ash everywhere he went, like his own personal shadow. Ash himself was very interested in the big electric-type. She had quite the arsenal of moves at her disposal, which she had gladly shown of to Ash while taking care of a few poké-stalkers.

Although, non-hostile Pokémon approached the duo as well, mainly small electric-types that idolized Luxio. In fact, while they were in the surrounding forest close to Oak's ranch, and Luxio had a parade of electric-types trailing behind her. Ash saw a few Voltorbs, Pichu, Pikachu, Minun, Plusle, and what he'd later find out to be Electrike and Dedenne, among others.

Ash figured it was quite amusing to watch the smaller electric-types trying to imitate Luxio, and she took it all in stride, happy to teach the little 'mons.

Little did Ash know, he imprinted more an Luxio than he thought. Weeks turned into months, which turned into a few years and Luxio was almost inseparable from Ash. At least, until Ash found an egg at his door on his twelfth birthday.

"What's this?" He murmured, picking up the blue and black egg, upon closer inspection, there was a bit of yellow dashed on the egg shell as well.

Realization hit him, and he ran toward Oak's laboratory, or more accurately, the ranch located behind it. When he arrived, Luxio was sitting down near more eggs. Luxio noticed his presence and looked up to mew at him, brushing against his legs, sending up very weak bolts of electricity.

Ash leaned down with a ghost of a smile on his face, patting the top of Luxio's head.

"I guess this means you can't stay by my side anymore, huh?" Luxio nodded, looking a bit sad herself. With tears in his eyes, Ash hugged the Spark Pokémon. "I'll take care of your child like they were my own." Luxio mewed and licked his face, sending more tingles of electricity spreading across his body.

After the little heart to heart with Luxio, Ash tiptoed into the laboratory to get a little advice on how to take care of the egg.

"Professor~" Ash weakly called, not really wanting to disturb anyone. It was six in the morning after all. He assumed the habit of waking up early to avoid any unruly pokémon as he walked around town, and eventually the pokémon Ranch, where he spent most of his time bonding with some pokémon.

"Ash?" The Pokémon Professor called back, just a tad bit louder than Ash's own call. "What are you doing here?"

Ash walked into a separate area in the lab, where Oak was at a large computer desk, papers strewn everywhere except certain spots on the floor.

"Y'know, Professor, you might want to clean up every now and then. It isn't healthy to work in this environment."

Samuel Oak have a tired smile; it wasn't the first time Ash had pointed that out, and it most likely wouldn't be the last. "Yes, yes, I will, Ash. Anyway, what are you doing here so late?"

"Professor, it's morning."

Oak blinked at that, looked at the clock, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Indeed it is, son. Seems I've pulled another all-nighter. No matter, what can I do to - ah, you have an egg in your arms."

"Yes, Professor, I do." Ash smiled warmly down at the egg, and if his eyes were shinier than usual, Oak did not utter a word.

"Well, Ash my boy, seems you have quite the adventure laid in front of you, what did you need me for?"

Ash looked up at the Professor, thinking for a bit. "Uh, I can't remember. I think it was - oh! I wanted to borrow some books on raising eggs, and maybe get some advice?" Ash stared at Oak expectantly.

Oak merely chuckled, clearly amused at the boy's hesitance. "Of course, of course! Here, let's see where I left Elm's notes."

"Good luck." Ash muttered.

"I resent that!"

XxxxX

Later in the day, Ash arrived back home, with the egg in its proper container. He'd spend the next few months telling stories to the egg, hoping to instill some of Luxio's bravery through his stories (which may have been exaggerated, but no one in the universe cared). Delia took it all in stride. She enjoyed the company of Luxio, but all good things come to an end. As the weeks went on, it was clear that Ash was growing impatient, and Delia visited Professor Oak to see if she could do something.

"Hey Samuel? Can we speak for a moment?"

Oak glanced up from his work, noticing the older Ketchum in the doorway to his laboratory. "Yes, come in. What's the matter, Delia?"

Ash's mother sighed and mentally prepared herself for this question. "Do you think I could get a special pokéball for Ash? As a present, I'd like to provide him with the means of making his starter special."

Oak merely smiled, slightly expecting this (but from the boy in question). He held up a finger, and opened one of his bottom drawers, using a little bit of effort to get the stubborn thing open.

"I figured Ash would come by eventually to ask the very same question, so I had this prepared beforehand."

He found what he was looking for, and presented a slightly worn box to Delia. She took the box carefully, and opened it out of curiosity.

"Oh Mew, Sam. This is perfect!" Delia gasped, gazing into the box cradled in her hands. She turned to leave, hesitating slightly.

Oak smiled warmly, and went back to the endless paperwork. Before he good too engrossed, he spoke one parting message. "Remind Ash that he still has to wait for his trainer's license!"

XxxxX

Delia entered the house, finding Ash watching the Pokémon League reruns on the couch in their living room. And, sure enough, the little mainly-blue-and-black-with-a-dash-of-yellow egg was nestled right next to him in its incubator.

At the sound of the door clicking shut, Ash looked over to his mom. "Hey mom?"

"Yes Ashy?"

Undeterred, Ash continued. "Do you think Pokémon can understand their surroundings while in their eggs?"

Knowing where this was going, Delia smiled, one of those motherly smiles that makes you feel welcome and good inside. "Ash, you can always go over to Oak's and ask."

The raven-haired preteen shook his head. "Professor didn't know, and . . . Professor Elk? He didn't know either, and he studies eggs!" He took a deep breath, and let it all out. "M'sorry. I've just been on edge lately, but I did want to know your opinion."

The mother had since been on the couch next to Ash, and she looked at the egg thoughtfully. "Ash,"  
The boy looked up at his mother's gentle tone. "If you really want to know my opinion, a woman who works at a local restaurant, then I'll say this." She looked at the egg, smiled, and directed her gaze back up to her son. "The Pokémon in that egg, the child of Luxio, they understand you. If not by words, than by the pure emotions you've been putting into your stories. The words of greeting you had for them, they noticed you acknowledged their presence. No matter what, this little Pokémon will know what you did for it when they hatch. And when they do, I'll welcome them with open arms, knowing they are keeping my little boy safe."

Ash nodded slightly, struck with the deep philosophy behind the simple words of his mother. He proceeded to promptly hug her, for a long time.

"Oh by the way, Ashy?"

"Hmm?"

"I've got you and your little friend a present, courtesy of one Samuel Oak."

Ash didn't let go for his part. "I wanna keep hugging you."

Delia sighed, all in good humor. "I guess you won't need this special pokéball then, Oak clearly put some thought into it." Ash didn't budge, and Delia decided to go for the icing on the cake. "And I bet Gary would be jealous." Ash stirred slightly, looking up at his mom.

". . . I might be a little interested."

Delia laughed, she knew that making Gary jealous wasn't his real reason for letting her go, but she managed to cheer him up, and that's all that really matters. She pierced him with a stern look, and he look slightly taken aback.

"But after dinner! And make sure you wash your hands!"

Ash nodded, and took off laughing and grinning. Delia looked off with a small smile, knowing she was going to get the most out of the few months they had left together.

XxxxX

It was officially After Dinner, and Ash was rocking on the balls of his feet, barely able to contain his excitement. Delia set a beautiful red oak box on the table, which may have been slightly worn on the edges, but Ash didn't care. After the cue from Delia, he hastily opened the lid, and nearly dropped the lid back down out of shock.

Inside the red oak box, sat a blue and black cherish ball, blue on the top, black on the bottom, with the center button even colored yellow. It sat perfectly polished on the cushion in the box. Ash gently picked it up, and ran his fingers lightly over the cool metal.

"Mom...I...It's beautiful." Ash murmured.

Delia smiled; Samuel had good taste, and knew just what Ash would like. It certainly was a special pokéball for a special occasion.

"Thank you." Ash spoke up, sincere with his words. He set the pokéball gently into the box, and hugged his mother for the second time that evening.

Delia wasn't complaining.

XxxxX

A few days later, the egg started to crack.

In the middle of the night.

With the whole house asleep, no one was there to greet the little Shinx that popped out of the egg, so it started to wander. It hopped off the shelf the egg was placed on, and started to pace around the room. The Shinx was growing bored in the small room, and tried to open the door, with no luck.

Ash, who _was_ sleeping soundly, started to stir at the little Shinx's growls of frustration. He sat up, drawing the attention of the little kit, and tried to blinked the sleep out of his eyes as he yawned and stretched. The Shinx started creeping towards the boy, proceeded to hop on the bed, and crawl into Ash's lap. Ash, who still had no idea what was going on, scratched the Shinx behind the ears, eventually lulling both parties back into a deep sleep.

It never did occur to the boy that the kitten in his lap was smaller than what he was used to. At least, until the next morning.

Ash awoke from his sleep to a paw poking his mouth, nearly choking when it succeeded in entering said mouth.

Ash sat up startled, and looked around his room for the culprit. Ash kept looking around the room, expecting Gary to jump out from thin air any second, only to finally notice the weight in his lap.

Shinx's needs were simple, as long as he had food, adventure, and a loving caretaker, he was set. This mindset is one that would lead to a lot of trouble, but he had guts. So, as any cat in their right mind would do, he hopped on his soon-to-be trainer's head, and promptly fell asleep.

Ash, startled by the little kit's actions, fell back onto the bed, somehow managing to not wake the kit from its impromptu nap. Though, as one who likes adventure and challenge, Ash grinned, and took the little Shinx's behavior in stride, and one thought raced through his head throughout the morning: _"This is gonna be so much fun!"_

XxxxX

Later in the day, Ash and the kit - who was asleep in the boy's arms - were heading over to Professor Oak's ranch. Ash started to wonder about how having Shinx as a starter would work. Would the small kitten even agree? Ash wanted to give the kit a choice, but he also wanted to be a Pokémon Master.

On the way, the little Shinx woke up, and Ash thought it was the cutest thing when it yawned.

"Hey buddy, you ready to meet my mentor?"

The Shinx mewed, not quite understanding the question, tilting his head.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Ash laughed.

Soon enough, Ash strode up to the ranch with the little bundle in his arms, he shifted the Shinx to knock on the door.

Oak opened the door, about to say something to Ash, and stopped when he saw the little kit in the boy's arms.

Ash grinned - so hard he practically split his face in two - and said, "The egg hatched, Professor!"

Oak smiled warmly, and even laughed when the Shinx poked his head up to look at the professor. The Shinx nodded as if Oak passed his test, and proceeded to leap out of Ash's arms and onto Oak's face.

"Gah! Ash! Help!"

Ash, however, was rolling on the floor laughing. When he composed himself and Oak pried the Shinx off his face, setting the troublemaker in his arms, Ash replied to Oak.

"He did the same thing to mom this morning."

"That must have been a sight," Oak murmured. He gestured to the door. "Let's bring this conversation inside, shall we?"

"Sure!"

XxxxX

Oak gave Ash tips to raise the mischievous kit. Ash duly noted them down, never missing a word and asking to clarify some things. Apparently the diet needs to be milk and tiny doses of electricity. After about four weeks, Shinx needs to be fed red meats, and even later start to assimilate pokéfood into the diet.

It was all quite a lot, and Ash got overwhelmed at some points, but Ash got it all down.

XxxxX

About four months later the Shinx has grown quite a lot, reaching Ash's knees (which he tried to use as a scratching post - Ash did not approve).

At this point, Shinx could also understand human speech, mostly. So, Ash decided to ask if Shinx wanted a name.

"How about it, buddy? Do you want a nickname?"

Shinx thought for a bit, then decided it would be okay, and nodded.

"Hmmm, okay. I've been thinking for a bit now - just in case - and I have a few options. Whaddya say?"

Shinx mewed vigorously in response. Ash beamed at him, patting his fur.

"First one: Sparky?" Shinx shook his head.

"Yeah, it's not so good. Flash?" Shinx thought, and shook his head to that as well.

"That one's a cliché too, huh? This next one has a deeper meaning, Sirian?"Shinx thought really hard about this one, but ultimately he shook his head.

"Ok buddy, best for last, I guess. This also has meaning behind it, Raiden?"Shinx didn't have to think and nodded while mewing. Ash smiled. "Raiden it is, Rai for short."

Shinx, or rather, Raiden posed while Ash pet him some more, both content with life.

XxxxX

Another few months later was the day Ash had been waiting for since he could remember. It was the day he and the other kids of Pallet Town could receive their trainers license. Raiden, already up to Ash's waist, hopped in excitement with Ash. This was the day they had both been waiting for!

Ash was up at six in the morning, an hour earlier than most days, and got prepared. He put on his favorite hat, a red and white hat with a green stylized L on the front, which he won in a giveaway. With his league expo hat on, he headed out the door, only to be stopped by Delia.

"Ashy, did you eat breakfast?" She asked in a sickeningly sweet tone. Ash and Raiden looked at each other and ran into the kitchen.

After their impromptu breakfast, Ash and Raiden headed out the door _again,_ and made their way to Oak's ranch.

When they entered through the doors, they found that they were the last ones to arrive. Leaf looked impatient and Gary looked amused.

"Cutting it close, huh Ashy-boy?"

Ash grinned, "Gary, I saw you walk in three minutes ago."

Ash was at the top of the hill when he saw Gary walk from his house attachment to the lab door.

Leaf crossed her arms and looked at both of the boys. "You both are cutting it close, can we proceed now?"

Oak cleared his throat from the back of the small room. "Yes, yes, follow me."

He led them to another area in the back that had a table with three pokéballs on it.

"Now, I assume that both of you," he gestured to Leaf and Gary, "have already chosen your starter?"

Gary looked at Ash and smirked, walking up to the table with Leaf. Ash watched from the back, touching the cherish ball at his belt (he had returned Raiden beforehand so the room wasn't crowded, the Shinx was getting unusually large).

Both Leaf and Gary put their pokéballs on their respective belts. Oak nodded in approval and set the last ball aside.

"This one will be going to a kid in a small town off Viridian City." He looked back at the fledgling trainers. "I'll be back in just a moment."

As he left, Ash turned to Leaf and Gary. "What Pokémon did you guys pick?"

Leaf beat Gary to the punch. "I picked Bulbasaur, and I'm going to give him a nickname, if he wants one."

"What'll it be?"

"In the end it's his choice, but either Saur or Venus."

"Nice, what about you, Gary?" They both turned to look at Gary, who felt a little left out of their conversation.

"I'm probably not going to nickname any of my pokémon, unless I have more than one of the same species." He shrugged, but his eyes then gained a fire. "Me and Squirtle will catch all the Pokémon!" All the kids laughed at his bold declaration, and by the time they were done, Oak was back with some pokédexes.

"Alright kids, what I have hear will guide you on your journey. No doubt you saw them on school, this is a pokédex." He held up a red one, its shine captivating the trio. "You can scan your Pokémon with this camera, and once you link it to your fingerprint or identify yourself, it's yours for life. It will also act as your trainers license and ID. Choose wisely."

They were all the same model, but it came in four different colors: black, red, green, and blue. Gary swiped the black one first, Leaf took the blue one, and Ash grabbed the red one.

Oak smiled at all of them. "Excellent, this pokédex is the start of your trainer career. With it, you take your first step into becoming a Pokémon trainer. You may leave and start your journey, good luck!"

The three of them filed out of the lab and into the yard, still a little dumbstruck at the fact they were now Pokémon trainers.

Immediately Gary turned to Ash and declared they should have a battle.

Ash grinned, "You're on!"

End Prologue.

* * *

 **Hope you readers liked the story. This is something I'll just do for fun, so updates will be sporadic. Please review to comment on my story, characters, or even my hair! ;)**


	2. Looks Like You're Pretty Strong

Raiden and Gary's Squirtle stood in a glaring contest, trying to syke their opponent out. After a few moments, Gary called out a command.

"Squirtle use Water Gun!"

"Rai! Spark!"

Raiden charged through Squirtle's Water Gun and used Spark. The turtle was on its last legs, and Rai tackled him to serve as the end.

Gary sighed in defeat. "Not bad Ashy-boy, I will beat you though."

Ash smiled, "I look forward to it, Gar-bear."

Leaf stepped in between the two. "Girls, girls, you're both pretty. Can we get moving now?"

They all grinned, and soon parted ways for now, for each journey is their own. Ash said goodbye to his friends and family, and headed off towards Viridian City.

He looked to Raiden before they got moving. "You ready to start our journey, Rai?"

The Shinx nodded, trilling loudly.

Ash grinned. "Let's go!"

XxxxX

After a little while on the road, Ash remembered to scan Raiden to find out what he really was capable of.

"Shinx, the Flash Pokémon. The extension and contraction of its muscles generates electricity. It glows when in trouble. All of its fur dazzles if danger is sensed. It flees while the foe is momentarily blinded. This Pokémon is Male. Ability: Guts (hidden) Known moves: Tackle, Leer, Flash, Spark, Bite, Ice Fang (egg), Night Slash (egg)."

Ash whistled in awe. The Shinx in front of him was going to be a monster in battle. The ability also explains a bit of Raiden's behavior.

Abilities affect the personality of a Pokémon sometimes. If Raiden had Intimidate as his ability, he'd have a chance of his personality to be mean-spirited or nasty. If he had Rivalry, there's a chance he wouldn't be able to stand other male Pokémon, going crazy anytime another male was in his vicinity. Luckily, Guts hasn't impacted the Shinx's behavior too much.

Ash smiled at his starter. "Well buddy, looks like you're pretty strong already. We'll have to train your egg moves, and it will be difficult. But that's for later, how about we go find a Pokémon to catch? Find a new member for our team?"

Raiden trilled at Ash, and followed him down the route. Soon enough, they came across a Pidgey.

Ash crouched as they approached, and Raiden followed suit. They stopped when they were a few feet away. Ash quietly, oh so quietly, prepared a pokéball.

Ash whispered a command to Raiden. "Rai, use Spark."

The Shinx nodded slightly and creeped closer to the Pidgey, pouncing a second later.

"Rrrrooowl!"

The Pidgey squawked and was hit before it could fly away. Ash threw the pokéball and it hit the bird spot on. A few seconds later, the ball dinged in a successful capture.

Ash grabbed the ball, with a face-splitting grin on his face. He pumped the ball in the air.

"Yeeeeaah! First catch!" He looked to the proud Shinx prancing about. "Way to go, buddy! Excellent job!" Raiden stopped and preened in Ash's praise.

Once their excitement dialed down, Ash let out the Pidgey and scanned it with the pokédex.

"Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. It's a common sight in forests and woods. Pidgey flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand. Normally docile, but if attacked it can be ferocious. This Pokémon is Female. Ability: Keen Eye. Known Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Peck, Gust."

Ash nodded, he could work with that. He looked towards the Pidgey, who was batting away a wandering paw from his electric feline. He snapped, grabbing the attention of both Pokémon.

"Rai, leave our teammate alone." The Shinx sulked away from the bird. Ash glanced at Raiden and shook his head, and returned his gaze to Pidgey. "Hey there, would you like a nickname? Something that stands out?"

Pidgey nodded immediately, wasting no time. Ash chuckled a bit.

"Alright, how about Tempest?"

Pidgey thought, then decided she could respond to that name. She nodded at Ash.

In turn, he grinned.

"Welcome to the team, Tempest. Now we're one step closer to becoming the Pokémon Master!"

They all cheered at that, laughing afterwards. Ash returned Pidgey to rest, and headed off towards Viridian City once more.

XxxxX

Ash stumbled into a clearing, and thought it was perfect area to sleep in. It was long into the night, the only thing keeping him awake was his adrenaline and Raiden's flashes from his tail and ears.

"Alright, buddy. We're stopping here for the night. We should be able to get to Viridian tomorrow afternoon."

Raiden meowed in relief, and slumped onto the ground. He didn't fall asleep right away, though; he made sure Ash fell asleep before he did.

Ash, meanwhile, let out Tempest so she could stay out with them. Since she was already well-rested, the Pidgey decided to keep lookout.

Ash nodded, very drowsy, and pulled out his sleeping bag. He laid it down next to Raiden, and fell asleep almost immediately, with his Pokémon watching over him.

XxxxX

"Squaaawk!"

A low growl followed. The sounds pierced through the still mid-morning air. Raiden bolted up from his cat nap, and started nudging Ash, who was miraculously still asleep.

"Buh, wuh? Raiden?"

He blinked, and noticed there was a quite angry Houndour in front of Tempest, who was blocking the way to Ash. That's strange, he thought. Houndour live in Johto, about a hundred miles to the west of his current location. While it wouldn't be impossible for a wild Houndour to be here, it was still very rare. Ash was very cautious. Houndour tended to travel in packs.

That's when he noticed it.

The white foam around the canine's mouth.

"Tempest! Don't let it bite you! Keep a distance!"

This was bad - very, very bad. It reminded him of when he was chased by Pokémon. Thinking back, those Pokémon might have been on the verge of becoming fully rabid and feral.

He now realised how lucky and unlucky he was at the same time.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he readied a pokéball and shouted commands to his brave Pidgey.

"Tempest! Use Sand Attack!"

The bird responded immediately by kicking up dirt into the Houndour's eyes. It snarled at the offending bird, ready to pounce.

"Tempest, again!"

She duly kicked more dirt into the canine's eyes.

"Again!"

Sensing a pattern, the Pidgey kept kicking dirt over and over into the Houndour's eyes. She kept doing so until Ash issued a different command.

"Use Gust!"

Tempest flew into the air a couple feet, and gathered winds. Once she deemed the winds sufficient, she sent them towards the fumbling canine.

The Houndour was blown into a nearby tree, and let out a loud yell on impact. Ash threw the pokéball afterwards, hitting the dog straight on.

The Houndour struggled for a bit, but eventually Ash and his team heard the telltale "ding" to signify a capture.

Ash couldn't let the canine back out in its condition, and instead turned to his team.

"Great work, Tempest. Without you on lookout, we probably would have been bit."

The Pidgey glowed in Ash's praise, not quite grasping how dire the situation actually was. Raiden pouted, but was glad all the same. He brushed up against Ash, sending tingles up the boy's legs.

Ash laughed and pet the Shinx on the head. Raiden always knew how to lift Ash's spirits. Ash composed himself and looked back towards Tempest.

"Hey, could you find the quickest route to Viridian City?"

The Pidgey cocked her head in confusion. The words made no sense to her, having only limited knowledge of the human language.

Raiden, who was more of an expert, explained to the bird what Ash was trying to convey. This time, Tempest nodded and took off.

Ash sighed. "I hope we get there in time."

XxxxX

After a rush through the last part of the route to town - thanks to Tempest - Ash was quickly stopped by an officer.

"I need to see an ID, kid."

Rather than argue with the impatient officer, Ash complied with her demand. He pulled out his pokédex and handed it to her. She examined it for a second, then nodded in satisfaction.

"Sorry for that, sir. Lately there's been an increase in criminal rates and Pokémon smuggling. I needed to make sure you were a trainer, since you have Pokémon on you." The officer gestured to his belt.

Ash nodded to show he was listening and not about to bolt off in a hurry. He hurriedly excused himself, and rushed towards his real destination: the Pokémon Centre.

Ash briskly strode through the double-door entrance, making his way to the reception desk.

"Nurse! Can you help? I found a canine Pokémon in the wild with rabies."

The nurse took on a serious manner, and asked for information about the Pokémon as she requested for a doctor.

"I'm going to need the type of Pokémon, how it looked, and its state of being, if possible."

"It was a Houndour," he set the pokéball down on the desk as he started explaining. "When it found me, it was already foaming at the mouth and it was quite thin, but not starving. The fur was displaced, but not unkempt. It looked like it was just released from a trainer, I can't think of any other reason why a Johto Pokémon would be this far from the border without a pack."

The pink-haired nurse took notes, and when the doctor arrived, the nurse handed the notes over to the doctor.

"Thank you, Joy." She said. After she read the notes, the doctor looked at Ash. "I'm going in the back to check the condition of this Houndour. I'll heal your other Pokémon too, just to make sure they didn't contract the disease." Ash handed her his other Pokémon. "It might be awhile, so I suggest going to the cafeteria to wait and eat your fill. Joy will page you when I'm done."

Ash nodded, still quite shaken. He hadn't even realized his stomach was growling. He headed towards the cafeteria, where many trainers were socializing, or agonizing. Ash made his way toward the buffet and grabbed a sandwich and a drink.

As he sat down and started eating, there seemed to be a commotion to his left.

"Buzz off, Richard. I don't need this."

"Babe, I'm only trying to help."

Ash turned to look and see an older girl pointing at an even older guy accusingly. Ah, he thought, that must be Richard.

"You only wanted me for my family."

"Oh please, your Pokémon are not your family."

"Ugh, I can't believe this, good-bye Richard. May our paths never cross again." She turned away and looked in Ash's direction. Their eyes may have met, but the girl turned away towards the door, dark brown hair flowing behind her.

Ash looked away, left with the feeling that he wanted to punch Richard, but didn't act on it.

He picked at his food for another twenty minutes or so when his name was finally called.

"Ash Ketchum to the front desk."

He practically leaped to the front desk; the anticipation of waiting was killing him. As he arrived, he saw the doctor with a grim look on her face. His heart fell, knowing that bad news was coming.

"Mr. Ketchum-"

"Please, just call me Ash."

"Alright, Ash. We did some scans and bloodwork, with all hands on deck for this one. We found that Houndour is too far gone to save. I'm really sorry."

Ash was crushed. Even if the dog had tried to kill him, he didn't want it to die like this. Then, he thought of his other Pokémon. "What about Raiden and Tempest? My Shinx and Pidgey?"

"They are both fine, a little roughed up, but fine. It's quite a miracle, actually. Houndour ar usually quite aggressive anyway, so both Pokémon managing to not get bit was quite a feat. A job well done, Ash."

Ash gave a small smile. "I'm not the one doing all the work, though."

The doctor looked at Ash. "Ash, for a new trainer to instill loyalty that strong in Pokémon is quite a feat on its own. How long have you been training them?"

"Raiden, the Shinx, for about a year since he was an egg. Tempest, the Pidgey, who also did the fighting, about a day."

The doctor smiled. "That is indeed quite something. You're going to do great things, I can tell." She handed him two pokéballs, and held a third in her hand. "Now, I'm going to give you a choice: do you want to put down Houndour, or should we? Keep in mind that we have to put it down in a contained environment, I'm just giving you the option to "pull the trigger" so to speak."

Ash shook his head. "I don't think I'll be able to go through with it, doctor."

The doctor smiled sadly at Ash. "One day you'll have to deal with mortality, it is a part of being a Pokémon trainer, unfortunately. Let's just hope that day is far into the future."

Ash was silent, and the doctor took this as her cue. "Ash Ketchum, it was a pleasure. I don't believe I told you my name. You can call me Dr. Dawson."

Ash took her hand and shook it firmly. "It was a pleasure, Dr. Dawson."

Although technically it wasn't the greatest time for Ash, he still enjoyed Dawson's personality. He waved goodbye to Nurse Joy and Dr. Dawson, and headed out the doors.

He headed in the direction of the gym in Viridian. Ash wanted to see an inspiring battle before he left to the forest.

He walked up to the gate, and was stopped by a guard. "No one but the challenger is allowed inside, kid. Are you going to challenge the gym?"

Ash sighed. "No, I just wanted to watch a battle before I headed off to Viridian Forest. I'll just leave I guess."

The guard said nothing and Ash walked off in disappointment. However, when he heard the door to the gym slam open, he looked to see what was going on.

"This is bullshit! I want a rematch!"

Ash saw an older kid fuming out of the door, the Virdian Gym Leader Giovanni following him.

"You can have a rematch in a week, as is my policy. Maybe next time I'll go easy on you. Or not." He grinned mischievously, amused by the whole situation.

The boy reached for one of his pokéballs in frustration, but an angry Nidoking standing behind Giovanni stopped him. The boy fumed all the way to the Pokémon Centre.

"Sir, someone was watching." A guard said, pointing toward Ash.

Giovanni glanced at Ash. "Indeed, I'll deal with it, don't worry." The gym leader strode over to Ash, wasting no time. "..."

Ash wondered what the problem was. "Uh, can I go? All I wanted to do was watch a battle, but your guards turned me away." More silence met his words. "I'm just gonna go."

As Ash was about to turn away, Giovanni stopped him. "Hey kid, are you a new trainer?"

Ash looked at him. "Yeah, why?"

"Hmmm, how would you feel about testing your skills against my Nidoking here? I could give you pointers. Hell, if you win at your level, I'll give you a badge."

Ash pondered for a moment. Neither of his Pokémon could be able to defeat Nidoking at their current state, Raiden even had a disadvantage.

"I'm not sure, what are the rules to this?"

Giovanni chuckled, he was pretty sure he hooked the kid. "Old Nido here will not use any moves, only his strength. If you and your Pokémon manage to move him at all, you win."

There was no chance he could win, Ash knew that, but he took up the challenge anyway, to test his skills against a - very - experienced opponent.

"Okay, I'll do it."

Giovanni grinned, and gestured to the guards to open the doors to the gym. "Follow me, boy."

Ash did so, marveling at the interior structure of the magnificent gym. By the time he focused on the field, Giovanni was on the other side with his Nidoking in the middle of the battlefield.

"What was your name? I don't believe I asked."

"It's Ash Ketchum, sir."

Giovanni paused. "Hmm. Okay, Ash, send out your Pokémon, all of them."

Ash duly sent out his Pidgey and Shinx, the latter causing a look of confusion to cross the Viridian Gym Leader's face.

Ash, noticing the look, answered his unspoken question. "He was my starter, who was an egg I got from Professor Oak."

Not totally the truth, but it would have been a long story. Luckily, the answer seemed to suffice, and he motioned to the referee to give the signal.

"This is a battle between Viridian Gym Leader Giovanni, and Ash Ketchum of...?" He looked at Ash.

"Pallet Town."

"And Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. The rules have been determined and agreed upon by both challenger and leader. Begin!"

Ash started immediately by calling commands to his Pokémon. "Tempest, use Sand Attack! Raiden, can you try an Ice Fang, buddy?"

Tempest duly started to kick up sand at her opponent, and Raiden tried to gather ice energy into his teeth, but ultimately failed, ending up being a mildly cold bite as he bit down on Nidoking.

Nidoking had not budged from his position, and used his tail to sweep the Shinx away, even with the vaguely irritating sand in his eyes. This knocked Raiden back to Ash's side of the field. He wasn't out yet, though.

"Tempest, use Peck! Go for the base of the neck!"

Ash knew that he couldn't get to the actual weak spot of Nidoking - the jugular - because he didn't want Tempest make an unnecessary sacrifice. Ash knew his Pokémon weren't strong enough for this match. Ash knew a lot of things - surprisingly - and he knew he was going to bring out the best in his Pokémon.

"Rai, go and Tackle Nidoking as hard as you can!"

The Shinx growled in acknowledgment, and started a run from his side of the field, all the way to Nidoking, who was being distracted by an annoying bird. There was a loud smack as Raiden tackled the side of Nidoking, but he still hadn't managed to move him.

That's when Nidoking decided enough was enough. He grabbed the bird and the cat, and threw them to Ash's side of the field. He returned them before they hit the ground.

Ash looked up to the sound of Giovanni clapping, an impressed look on his face.

"You made Nidoking use some more of his strength. At your level, that's pretty good. I assume the Ice Fang was an egg move?" Ash nodded as an answer. "Very impressive. Although, as I'm sure you know, you need to practice egg moves so they become second nature to the Pokémon. Practice will help hone your skills, don't forget that."

"Yes, sir. Thank you for the battle, but I should probably get going, I wanted to get some good headway into Viridian Forest today."

Giovanni quirked a smile. "Very well. If you ever need tips on ground types, you can contact me." He went over to Ash, and gave him his business card. "All my details are on here, don't be a stranger."

Ash nodded. "Thank you, sir. I'll be sure to contact you if I need it. I'll see you for my eighth badge." Giovanni waved in goodbye and Ash waved back, slightly confused. Ash heard rumours that the Viridian Gym Leader was a shady guy, but he was nice to Ash. He shrugged, maybe there was more to people than meets the eye.

XxxxX

Ash sat down, weary from his adventure through the bug-infested forest. It was dusk, and while the forest looked beautiful, Ash just wanted to sleep.

Of course, nothing is that simple.

In the middle of the night, Ash was woken up by a concerned Tempest and a growling Raiden. In front of the trio, a large Pinsir was towering over the group.

Ash, still blinking sleep out of his eyes, returned Tempest, quickly grabbed his stuff, and started running. Raiden growled in warning at Pinsir, and followed Ash deeper into the wood. The Pinsir huffed and turned away, too tired to deal with trespassers.

Ash panted his wispy breath into the air, Raiden close behind, keeping a lookout and being the faint lightsource for Ash.

Raiden jumped in surprise when Ash threw his bag on the ground and laid down with the bag as a pillow. He was too tired to do anything else, and Raiden curled into Ash, keeping both of them warm.

The next morning, Ash woke up to someone shaking him awake.

"Hnng, go away. Five more minutes."

The shaking only intensified, and both Raiden and Ash were grumpy when they got up. Ash's grumpiness faded when he saw that it was Leaf who was shaking him awake. It was still dark, but Raiden provided all the light he needed.

"Ash, tell your glowstick to turn it off, this is serious."

"Leaf?" After Raiden turned off his flash, Leaf responded.

"Ash, you're lucky I'm here. While you were still sleeping, I fended off some Weedle who were trying to make you a midnight snack." She pointed upwards, and Ash saw a faint white in the trees, only visible by moonlight.

"Wow, I can't believe I chose the worst spot in the whole forest to sleep, never mind that Pinsir."

Leaf held out a hand to Ash, which he took. She hoisted the boy up, after which Ash dusted himself off and grabbed his bag.

"I don't know, Pinsir are dangerous. But let's get out of here before they try to make both of us snacks."

They took off running, throwing caution to the wind. Weedle were dangerous; they could poison their targets and eventually wrap their prey in silk so they can suck the nutrients out of the prey's body. They are especially dangerous in numbers, but its uncommon to find a nest so close to human civilization. Ash must have been deep in the forest, or the wild Pokémon are acting weird. Ash wondered what the truth was.

"We should be far enough now, are you good to go to Pewter City? Or should we stop and make camp?"

Ash, who was no longer able to go back to sleep, responded. "Let's keep going. That is, if you're up to it, Leaf." Ash grinned.

Leaf smirked. "You're on, Ketchum."

They goaded each other on, through the night to the early morning, helping each other forget the events that happened - and what could have happened - during the night.

XxxxX

Eventually, they both made it to Pewter City, and what a gracious sight that was to the weary travelers. Ash clumsily returned his Shinx, turning to Leaf afterward.

"Do you see the Pokémon Centre, Leaf?"

She nodded and Ash followed Leaf through the gray city, so tired. So, so tired.

"Ash."

He jerked his head up to look at Leaf, noticing that she held two keys in her hands. When had they made it to the Centre?

"You look exhausted, Ash. Here follow me to the rooms." Ash duly did so, all he wanted was a bed.

"Here, take this room and get some rest." Leaf held open a door for Ash, and he all but collapsed on the bed. He remembered to let out Tempest and Raiden, then promptly fell asleep. Leaf chuckled at the events and went to her own room, just as tired as Ash.

XxxxX

Ash got up and yawned, confused at why he was still in dirty clothes. It was dark outside, that much he could tell. The events that happened during the day - or yesterday, he didn't know what time it was - were recalled, although they were a bit hazy.

He noticed his Pokémon in the room, Tempest sleeping on a perch bolted in the wall, and Raiden, who was curled by Ash's feet, yawning and getting up with Ash. In turn, Tempest slowly woke up, softly chirping in greeting to Ash.

Ash smiled. "I'm going to head to the cafeteria, guys. Would you like something?"

Both mewled/chirped in confirmation. Raiden wanted to go with Ash though. He chuckled as the Shinx rubbed against his legs and purred like a motor.

"Alright, Raiden you can come. Tempest, do you want to come too?" The Pidgey responded by staying put, nestling on the perch, and chirped at Ash.

Ash chuckled again at another headbutt from the purring cat. "Okay, Tempest can hold the fort while Raiden and I grab some food."

As he opened the door, he noticed a key with a note attached on the lock.

"Ash, since you were so tired, I left the key on the door. I'm fairly certain if anyone tried to get in, they would be met with an angry electric-type. Make sure you grab this key, and pay me back for the room!

-Leaf"

Ash made a mental note to pay back Leaf, and thank her. But for now, the cafeteria awaits.

When he arrived in the cafeteria, he noticed a few other night owls, and, surprisingly, not only Leaf, but Gary at a table in the front.

Gary, who was facing Ash's direction, smirked. "Looks like Ashy-boy the sleepy head finally gets to join us, Leaf was worried, you know."

Ash waved him off, and sat next to both of them at the circular table, Raiden laying beside his feet. "Thank you, Leaf. For the room and key."

Leaf turned to look at him. "Don't worry about it Ash. But you slept for a long time, Ash. Longer than a Snorlax."

Gary turned to Ash. "Sounded like one, too."

Ash playfully punched Gary in the arm, a bit harder than necessary. "And how would you know, Gar-bear? Do you stalk people when they sleep?"

Gary crossed his arms and looked mildy offended. "Ash," he started, taken aback. "You know I only stalk people when they're changing, that's the best time."

Both boys laughed, while Leaf rolled her eyes. "Please Gary, don't lie. I know you stalk people anytime they are in the bathroom."

The boys laughed harder, and Leaf joined in for a few snickers. As they all calmed down, Ash looked somewhat serious.

"What kind of food do they serve here? I'm famished, absolutely starving."

Gary turned away. "Quick, hide the Ponyta! Ashy-boy could go on a rampage any minute! Find some sustenance for the boy!"

As Gary turned back to cheeky smile at his friends, Ash punched him again. Leaf rolled her eyes once more.

"Ash, they have some good subs here. Back in the deli section, there's a whole variety."

Ash nodded toward Leaf and looked pointedly at Gary. "Thanks, Leaf. You are such a great help. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Leaf put a hand to her chest. "I know, darling. You couldn't survive without my helpful and useful skills and guidance."

It was Gary's turn to roll his eyes, but they all laughed again anyway.

After Ash was suitably fed and so was Raiden, he grabbed some seeds for Tempest, and went to go feed her. Both Gary and Leaf stayed in the cafeteria, and Ash eventually returned, with both his Pokémon in their pokéballs.

He smirked at both of his childhood friends. "Who's up for a battle?"

Gary and Leaf glanced at each other, grinned, then turned back to Ash.

In unison, they both replied. "You're on!"

* * *

 **That's the end to Chapter 1, folks! Featuring Ash, the unwilling insomniac. Guest starring Leaf, the savior, and Gary, the jester. No real gym battles yet, but the kids will get there eventually. Once they stop having battles between themselves, but whatever.**

 **Hope you liked today's Chapter! I kind of powered through at the end here, so if you notice any mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know. Also, if you liked, disliked, are confused about anything, let me know!**

 **I'm always open to suggestions, and if it doesn't spoil anything in my flexible plot, I'll clarify stuff about the story. Thanks for reading and have a nice day/evening/whatever time it is, Ciao!**


	3. Someone to Keep an Eye On

Ash, Leaf, and Gary stood at one of the training fields the Pokémon Centre sported.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Leaf was the first to speak up.

Gary shrugged. "Maybe a little rock, paper, scissors? Winner and second place fight first."

They all seemed to agree with that, so they conducted their mini-tournament. Ash and Leaf were going to battle first, much to Gary's dismay.

Ash laughed. "It was your idea, and you don't even get to fight first! Talk about irony."

Gary punched Ash in the arm.

"Hey!"

Soon after, Leaf and Ash were standing across from each other on the battlefield. Gary took his position as referee.

"This will be a one-on-one battle, whoever gets knocked out first, loses. Ash vs Leaf, begin!"

They both sent out their Pokémon at the same time, Tempest appearing in front of Ash, and a Metapod in front of Leaf.

Leaf grimaced at the sight of Ash's Pidgey, but knew that the only way for her Metapod to get any experience was to fight, so she started the match.

"Metapod, use Harden!"

Ash, not wanting to lose the upper hand, called to Tempest.

"Fly in quick, and use Peck!"

Tempest flew in to peck at the bug, but it didn't do much; the Metapod had already hardened his shell.

Leaf pumped her fist, and yelled to Metapod.

"Keep using Harden, then use Tackle!"

Ash groaned, then called to Tempest. "Try picking up Metapod, and fly him up to the sky!"

Tempest grabbed the hard shell of Metapod, and flapped her wings to carry the bug up past the trees.

"Drop him!"

Tempest unhooked her talons, which sent the bug went into a brief free fall - Ash didn't want to kill the Pokémon, and neither did Tempest - and Metapod crashed into the ground, unconscious.

Leaf sighed at her loss, she really hoped to stump Ash with Metapod's defenses. She returned the bug, whispering to the ball that he did a great job.

Ash congratulated his bird and promised a treat for her later, then returned the Pidgey to rest.

"Well, Ash. That was a good match. I was hoping to win, but don't we all?"

Leaf stuck out her hand. Ash paused, then took it.

"True, but you almost had me trapped with Metapod's defense. If Rai had been on the field instead of Tempest, I probably would have lost."

Leaf smirked, and put her hands on her hips. "Probably? Ash Ketchum, I would have creamed you."

Ash shrugged, grinning widely. Then he turned to Gary. "Well bud, looks like it's you and me, now."

Gary crossed his arms with a smirk. "Seems to be that way, Ashy-boy. Leaf will you do the honors?"

Leaf shook her head with a smile, and started the match. "This will be a one-on-one battle, whoever gets knocked out first, loses. Gary vs Ash, begin!"

Ash sent out Raiden, and Gary sent out an Eevee. Leaf and Ash stared.

"Woah! How'd you get an Eevee? Aren't they really rare?"

Gary smirked. "Gramps knows a guy. They go way back, apparently. That's just the way it is, I suppose. Too bad for you guys."

Ash grinned. "Yeah, too bad, I guess."

Raiden pounced at the Eevee, and bit the fox. Eevee howled with pain, and Gary snapped back to the fight.

"Eevee! Damnit, Ash! Eevee, use Bite!"

The tussle between the two Pokémon intensified as Eevee bit down on Raiden's shoulder. However, Raiden channeled some electricity from his fur, and shocked the Eevee off of him.

Both Pokémon bounced back, and locked gazes with the other, growling.

"Raiden, good work! Use Spark!"

Raiden growled, and leaped at the Eevee, and assaulted the Eevee with the electricity from his fur once more.

Eevee was on its last legs, and Gary was getting desperate. "Eevee, use Hyper Voice!"

Eevee hesitated, then took a large breath, and exhaled a loud shout. It wasn't perfect, but it did its job of getting the Shinx to back off.

Ash shook his head to gather his thoughts, and called out a command to Raiden.

"Bite!"

Raiden ground his teeth together and lunged at Eevee for the last time, biting the fox hard on the shoulder, felling him in an instant.

Both Ash and Gary returned their Pokémon to rest, then turned to face each other.

"Could've sworn you would have sent out your Squirtle."

Gary shrugged. "I wanted to use Eevee against your monster of a Shinx, to see how he would fare."

Ash crossed his arms. "So you tossed out a chance of winning?"

Gary smirked. "Now, Ash, I didn't say that. Someone's getting arrogant."

Ash playfully punched Gary in the shoulder. "You're one to talk. By the way, I didn't know Eevee could learn Hyper Voice. Although, it didn't look like he had much control over it, but it spooked Raiden a little."

"That's thanks to Gramps' breeder friend. He tutored Eevee to learn, but it didn't all stick. We're working on it." Gary paused with a thoughtful look crossing his face. "To be honest with you, that's the best Hyper Voice I've seen out of Eevee."

"Could have fooled me, but damn I'm jealous."

Leaf cut into the conversation at this point. "Now that's all well and good, boys, but I'm due for a match with Gar-bear, right? For second place? Right. Come on."

The boys looked at each other and shrugged, going to their places on the field.

Ash started Leaf and Gary off with the same words they used for his matches. "This will be a one-on-one battle, whoever gets knocked out first, loses. Leaf vs Gary, begin!"

In the end, Leaf triumphed over Gary. However, both boys were expecting it. Leaf and her Bulbasaur were a beast on the field. Ash got chills just watching them, but Gary and Squirtle were no slouches either, they just didn't have enough power to defeat Leaf. Although, Gary will claim it was because of her advantage.

Ash looked up at the dark sky, then he turned back to his friends. "What time is anyway?"

Leaf looked at her watch, then turned her attention back to Ash. "Half past midnight. You really slept the rest of the day away, Ash."

Ash groaned, there was no way he was going to be able to sleep until morning, not unless he wants to sleep until noon the next day.

Gary sighed, also a little displeased at hearing just how late it was. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why did we decide to have the battle right away, and not wait until morning."

In response, Ash and Leaf sighed. There was a collective shrug from the group, but there were no hard feelings amongst the trio. Each friend knew that they all had a part in their shared competitiveness.

Leaf yawned, and declared she would be heading to bed after healing her Pokémon. Gary decided the same thing, and soon, only Ash remained out on the field.

Ash sent out his Pokémon, who were a little roughed up, but were generally in good shape.

"Alright guys. Those battles were good, but I think we can do better. How about it? Up for some training?"

Raiden and Tempest both chirped and Ash grinned widely.

"Rai, we need to work on Ice Fang bud, maybe Night Slash," Ash paused, thinking. "Actually, I have no idea how dark energy works, so maybe another time."

Rai chirped, happy with that. Ash nodded, turning to Tempest. "As for you, I'd say we try to work on Quick Attack and possibly Whirlwind."

Tempest chirped as well, satisfied with the plan.

Ash nodded, then clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's get down to business!"

* * *

"Phew! Okay guys, I think we've earned ourselves a break!"

Ash wiped the sweat from his brow, still a little red from running laps around the practice fields. His Pokémon were in no better shape, exhausted from using power they weren't quite used to yet.

Raiden had gotten better at controlling the energy for Ice Fang, but it still made his teeth chatter. He also managed to grasp an idea for dark type energy from his Bite move, but it was hard trying to channel it to his claws instead of his teeth. Overall, he made quite a bit of progress with his egg moves.

On the other hand, Tempest had mastered Quick Attack, speed came naturally to the large pidgey. Although, Whirlwind was giving her a bit of trouble. Tempest had a hard time trying to stabilize the winds she had gathered, so it ended up just being a bigger Gust attack. Overall, Tempest made big progress with her moves.

Ash was proud of both of his Pokémon, calling them back towards him.

"Okay guys, who's hungry? I think it's been a couple hours since Leaf and Gary went inside, so let's grab ourselves a midnight snack!"

Raiden and Tempest both replied with relieved chatter, having worked up quite the appetite in their training hours.

Ash beckoned them inside with him, not bothering to return the Pokémon into their balls. It was nighttime, people could deal with it.

Unbeknownst to the trainer and his team, a pair of eyes watched them leave, glinting in the pale moonlight.

* * *

When Ash and his team made it into the cafeteria, they found only a few trainers within. Which was understandable, of course, it _was_ three o'clock in the morning, after all.

Ash waved politely to trainers that looked their way, heading straight to the food counter. He grabbed some worms for Tempest, some red meat for Raiden, and a sandwich for himself. He sat down with his Pokémon, ready to eat his fill.

After he was done, he returned his Pokémon and headed to the reception desk. He placed the balls on the desk, causing the nurse to look up at him.

"Hello nurse, I would like to have my Pokémon checked out for healing."

"Not a problem, Ash."

Ash blinked, a little surprised. "How'd you know my name?"

The nurse, Hope, smiled sadly. "Dr. Dawson told me what happened to that Houndour you brought in. She told me to keep a lookout for any more infected Pokémon in the south-western area of Kanto." She tapped her finger as she talked, a little nervous. "The doctor also told me to tell you that she would like for you to do her a favor."

Ash nodded to show he was listening, Nurse Hope lead him to the medicine wing of the building, grabbing the pokéballs that his Pokémon were in. As they were walking, the nurse continued.

"After you left Viridian, Dr. Dawson had more trainers coming in with Johto Pokémon, claiming they were sick when they found them in the wild." Hope wrung her hands together, hesitant to go on. "...none of the Pokémon survived treatment from the doctors in Viridian."

Ash was silent, shocked with this information. Viridian City was famous for their top-of-the-line medical treatment, many famous doctors found their roots in Viridian at one time or another. For even Viridian doctors to fail a treatment... something really, really bad must be going on in Kanto.

The nurse rested her head on her hand, choosing her next words carefully. "One of the Pokémon was exceptionally violent and too far gone with rabies. Ash, can you guess where this Pokémon was from?" She shifted her eyes to look over at the teen, waiting for his response.

Ash swallowed heavily. "Either Johto or Kanto, right?"

Hope shook her head, shifting her focus onto the door they stopped in front of: **Emergency Transfer Ward**.

"Sinnoh."

Ash peered through the tiny window, looking at the one Pokémon left inside. The crazed gaze of one Luxio met his, and it started to go berserk, likely not for the first time. Ash quickly turned back to Nurse Hope, fear along with confusion growing inside him. It reminded him too much of Raiden and his mother.

"How? Sinnoh is on the other side of the world. Two seas and an ocean separate us from them."

Hope shook her head, she didn't quite know either, looking at the pacing cat. "The only thing we know for certain is that it is not a trainer's Pokémon. Despite being so far gone, we could tell that the Luxio had no shots that would indicate that it had been in a Pokémon Centre at least once. Not to mention that a medical visit is required for non-native Pokémon." She turned her head back toward Ash, eyes downcast. "This just doesn't make any sense. It's as if they are popping up out of the ground, feral and rabid out of their mind."

Ash didn't really know how to process this information. It's one thing if the Pokémon didn't have a record of shots, it's another thing entirely if the Pokémon didn't have a trace in it's blood. The medical shots are supposed to ensure that diseases don't spread, but they also serve as insurance. Microscopic nanobots flow in the bloodstream of every Pokémon and they serve multiple purposes: to heal, to track, and, if necessary, as a last resort, under dire circumstances, to kill their host.

If this Luxio had none of those shots and injections, Ash pondered, then that would mean...

"This Luxio, it doesn't have any record at all? None? Nada? Zilch?"

Hope nodded, knowing what conclusion the teen was trying to reach. "That's right. This Pokémon is completely off the grid and dangerous until it calms down enough for us to humanely euthanize it or..." Nurse Hope looked into Ash's eyes once more. "Nature runs its course to the bitter end."

The moment Hope stopped speaking, the rabid Luxio foamed, then shot off a Thunderbolt at the door, causing the door to shake wildly. It held firm, however.

Nurse Hope shook her head and led Ash away toward the general check up rooms. "Now, back to business. Dr. Dawson would like you to do her a favor."

Ash nodded to show he was listening, still quite overloaded with the new information.

"Dr. Dawson would like for you to rehabilitate a Pokémon she has healed. It has suffered quite a bit abuse, but she thinks you'll be able to help it get back on its feet, so to speak." Nurse Hope smiled at Ash, although it did look a bit grim.

"I mean, I'll do it. But I have one question, why me? I met the doctor once, and you know those circumstances."

Nurse Hope nodded, figuring he'd ask this question. "Dr. Dawson believes your spirit will help this Pokémon." Nurse Hope paused, and her nervousness returned. "Although, there is a condition to this."

Ash stopped walking, looking at the nurse a little skeptically. "What is it? Something bad?"

Nurse Hope tilted her head in thought. "Depends on your definition of 'bad.' You see, the Pokémon can't leave the Centre because of an autoimmune disorder he has. There is no clear sign if he will get better, but Dr. Dawson hopes your influence will help motivate the little guy."

Ash looked a bit worried. "He's not contagious is he? Would exposing my team to him be fine?"

Nurse Hope nodded. "Both him and your Pokémon will be fine. His disorder is caused by an increase of cell growth. His cells grow so fast that he gets sick because of it." Nurse Hope paused, thinking for a moment. "I believe this is what you would call cancer."

"What?! The Pokémon has cancer?"

Nurse Hope nodded, a little hesitant. "I wouldn't blame you if you don't want to help anymore. Daily life in a hospital can seem a bit dull, especially for a young aspiring trainer such as yourself. I would understand if you just want to have fun on your journey."

Ash nodded absentmindedly, lost in the shock of the news. What did Dr. Dawson even see in him? They only met for three minutes, he barely remembered her name. Ash looked at Nurse Hope, who was smiling sadly. He quickly looked away again.

This Pokémon... would Ash's presence really help him? Had the Pokémon already accepted his fate? Did he know he had a high chance to die? Ash didn't know much about medicine, but he knew that cancer was hard to beat, even for a Dragonite.

Ash smiled grimly. His journey took a sad turn real quick. He threw his hands in the air, giving up the war in his mind.

"To hell with it. Nurse Hope, I accept your offer. Er, Dr. Dawon's favor, that is."

Nurse Hope looked pleasantly surprised. "Really? You know you and your team would have to stay here for a week or two, right? It might take a while for him to get used to you and for you to rehabilitate him to a decent condition. Right now the poor little guy can't even walk, and that's what Dr. Dawson wanted your help with."

"All right Ms. Nurse, I'll help the guy get back on his feet." The nurse nodded and turned away to go heal his Pokémon.

 _I_ _know_ _I'd_ _want someone to do the same_ _for_ _me..._

* * *

"I don't understand why you wanted him to do it, sir. He's a fledging trainer, practically still a child."

Giovanni turned to look at the doctor who requested his presence, amused with her reaction.

"You see, doctor. That boy is someone special, more than you could ever know. He needs to experience mortality if he ever wants to survive in a world like this one."

"Why should a thirteen/fourteen-year-old have to deal with mortality? He's practically a kid! I think it's too early to introduce him to this."

Giovanni sat down and leaned back in his chair, looking down on the doctor standing in the battle field. His eyes glinted with something dangerous, his Nidoking and Persian shifting to growl. The hulking menace behind and the silent danger in front of the gym leader caused the doctor to feel fear within her core. Giovanni smirked. "Don't question your boss, doctor. It's not good for the family."

Dr. Dawson took a heavy swallow, head turned down in submission. "Yes, boss."

Giovanni motioned for her to leave the gym. She hesitated for a minute, but quickly found her legs when Nidoking growled even louder, rattling the doctor's bones.

Once she was gone, Giovanni started to stroke his Persian's glossy head.

"That boy is someone to keep an eye on. He's the son of Delia and Flint, after all."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Whew! What a doozy. This took a while to figure out. Here we see the beginnings of a plot (wow, could you believe?). Anyway, this** **chapter** **starts fun and turns serious** **for** **good** **reason** **. Ash now is experiencing real world problems, and he has to figure out how to deal with them. Character development, baby!**

 **No new Pokémon this chapter (and no gym battle), but that will be in the next one. This chapter deals with world** **building** **(featuring my bs medical explanations) and a little fluff before the action.**

 **I feel like this was an appropriate stopping point for the chapter, even if it falls short by a thousand words** **compared** **to the others. (But hey, at least it's** ** _here_** **!** **It's** **at the** **expense of my school performance,** ** _but it's here and_** ** _thriving_** ** _, baby!_** **)**

 **As always, please leave a comment on my work, it helps me see where** **I'm** **going good and bad, and if you** **suggest** **something,** **I** **might** **implement** **it into the story!**

 **Speaking of, thanks to all of** **you** **who have** **suggested** **stuff so far! Great to see** **you** **guys enjoying the story. We might even see an interaction between Rai and** **another** **feline/canine soon ;), but no promises! I live for twists and turns in a story (evil laughter). Ciao!**


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